If “Beverly Hills Cop” was a Big Mac with extra sauce and “Beverly Hills Cop II” was a reheated Quarter Pounder smothered in synth-pop and cocaine dust, then “Beverly Hills Cop III” is the Dollar Menu after midnight—lukewarm, rubbery, and handed to you by someone who just clocked out of caring. Directed by John Landis, … Read More “Beverly Hills Cop III (1994): Axel Foley Goes to Hellworld (and Takes Us With Him)” »
Innocent Blood is the cinematic equivalent of ordering a pepperoni pizza expecting a gourmet pie… and getting half pepperoni, half prosciutto, with olives scattered where they make no sense. John Landis’ 1992 mash-up of vampire horror, mobster mayhem, and noir-comedy can’t quite decide what it wants to be—but hey, it sure wants to look stylish … Read More “Innocent Blood (1992): A Vampiric Gumshoe with Just Enough Sauce to Savor” »
There are movies that miss the mark. Then there are movies that miss the building entirely, fall into a dumpster fire, and get sprayed down by a confused fireman named Vinny. Oscar is that movie—a big, bloated attempt at screwball comedy where everything is moving except the laughter. Directed by John Landis and starring Sylvester … Read More “Oscar (1991): When Stallone Traded His Boxing Gloves for a Clown Nose” »
By the time Coming to America rolled around in 1988, Eddie Murphy had already conquered the world—or at least Hollywood’s paycheck machine—with 48 Hrs., Trading Places, and Beverly Hills Cop. He seemed unstoppable. So it must’ve sounded like gold-colored alchemy when someone whispered, “How about playing not one but seven characters, including a queen and … Read More “Coming to America (1988): Eddie Murphy Takes a Royal Dump on Good Taste (And Somehow Gets Richer for It)” »
There are movies that try too hard to be funny. Then there’s ¡Three Amigos!, a film that wears its stupidity like a bedazzled sombrero—and somehow makes it look good. John Landis, riding the tail end of his hot streak and nursing a hangover from Spies Like Us, somehow wrangled Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin … Read More “¡Three Amigos! (1986): When Three Idiots Rode into the Desert and Took Stupidity to Glory” »
There’s a special kind of disappointment reserved for comedies that star two legends and still manage to suck the air out of the room like a black hole in a tuxedo. Spies Like Us is that kind of disappointment. Directed by John Landis, who at this point had already played fast and loose with tone … Read More “Spies Like Us (1985): A Cold War Comedy So Cold It Froze the Jokes” »
There’s something about Into the Night that feels like waking up in the wrong motel room with someone else’s pants and a new sense of purpose. It’s a comedy. It’s a thriller. It’s a noir. It’s also possibly the most disoriented movie ever made about a man trying to catch some sleep and ending up … Read More “Into the Night (1985): Goldblum, Pfeiffer, and the Midnight Hangover You Didn’t Know You Needed” »
Ah, the ‘80s—when Reaganomics was hot, cocaine was diet-friendly, and Eddie Murphy could light up a room just by laughing. Trading Places is a relic of that particular time capsule. It’s a Wall Street fairy tale covered in caviar and Reagan sweat, served with a smirk and a little too much casual bigotry. Directed by … Read More “Trading Places (1983): Capitalism, Cross-Dressing, and the Curious Case of the Dukes’ Coked-Up Moral Compass” »
“Coming Soon” is not a movie. It’s a 55-minute clip show in a cheap tuxedo, puffing on a cigar made of celluloid, leering at the golden age of Universal horror while picking popcorn kernels out of its dentures. Directed by John Landis and stitched together like Frankenstein’s Monster on a discount budget, the film is … Read More “Coming Soon (1982): John Landis’ Nostalgic Dumpster Fire in a Tuxedo” »
John Landis’ The Blues Brothers is like a drunk uncle at a wedding reception—it starts off entertaining, maybe even charming, but by the third hour of slurred speeches and sweaty dancing, you’re wondering if someone should cut the mic and drive him home. It’s part musical, part chase film, part SNL-sketch-gone-feral, and depending on your … Read More “The Blues Brothers (1980): Mission from God or Just a Mission That Took Too Long?” »
